Outline Strategy Guide: Million Dollar Outlines, by David Farland
Hey there, friends! I'm jamming out to a fantastic book on writing that's been a game-changer for me – Million Dollar Outlines by David Farland!
I grabbed this book after attending Farland's "Writing Enchanted Prose" class at Fyrecon last year. I wasn't great with outlining stuff, ya feel? So, I decided to give it a shot this year while working on the sequel to Demon Fall for National Novel Writing Month. Wanna know what's crackalackin'? This book delivered the goods!
Million Dollar Outlines is great for teaching wannabe writers how to put together amazing outlines that are perfect either for personal use or to impress publishers. It's like magic spells that transform your random ideas into a well-thought-out story. Boom!
The book breaks down the outlining process into manageable chunks, which is a relief since that's always been a struggle for me. Recently, I've employed techniques found in the book such as creating a conflict/resolution page for each character to help visualize rising and falling action, and decide on subplots. It's been an awesome way to brainstorm plot points and find exciting detours my stories can take!
Farland also offers brilliant ideas on narrative techniques like doubling or tripling that help writers convey their ideas better and boost emotion. As he explains these tools, he provides awesome examples from other stories to illustrate their impact.
At the end of the book, Farland even includes the transcript for the planning meeting for Raiders of the Lost Ark. Can you imagine how messy the process of outlining an iconic story like that could be? There were tons of ideas going back and forth, and it's incredible to see how they got such an amazing story on the big screen.
I highly recommend this book for anyone, but especially discovery writers who want to learn how to outline. As a pantser myself, it helped me understand the outlining process better and made it easier to embrace. The best part? Combining outlining with my discovery writing super powers now makes me an even more effective writer. That's worth a fortune to me!
By the way, the book also includes excellent examples of how to put those taught tools into practice. I learn best through modeling, and reading the excerpts Farland included helped me see the practical applications. And hey, if you're into diagrams, there's a sick section on "story shape" with some killer diagrams to show how character plots intertwine and create the story’s structure. Applicable examples from popular books show how each character arc comes together to make the whole plot. It's got me pumped to figure out how to make this work for me and level up my own storytelling game!
ENOUGH TALK! What’s the one book about writing that's had the most significant impact on you and your work? Hit me up with your recommendations in the comments below!
On a related note, check out these resources:
- The Hero's Journey: Death of the Mentor
- 2021 Goals and Intentions
- LTUE Writer's and Illustrator's Conference 2020
What's your favorite writing resource, and why? Haven't found your perfect fit yet? Kick it with me in the comments, and we can share recommendations! 🤘🏽📚💻🔥
P.S. – FYI: For fellow discovery writers, there are tons of top-rated books tailored just for you! There's "Story" by Robert McKee, "Save the Cat" by Blake Snyder, and a curated set of books focusing on shaping stronger stories and fixing drafts. Choose your weapon, wannabe scribe! 🌟📖📝
- Recommended Books on Story Structure and Outlining for Discovery Writers
- "Story" by Robert McKee
- "Save the Cat" by Blake Snyder
- Other books from the "3 Must-Read Books on Story Structure for Aspiring Novelists" list
Also, check out the 24 Chapter Novel Outline, Snowflake Method, Plottr, and Outlining After Drafting approaches for discovery writers—these tools have got your back when it comes to carving out that masterpiece without stuffing creativity into a shoebox. Good luck, writing dudes! 💪🏽📝📚💼🚀
Sources:
[1] Griswold, J. (2020, May 22). 3 Must-Read Books on Story Structure for Aspiring Novelists. Retrieved November 22, 2021, from https://thewritelife.com/Articles/3-must-read-books-on-story-structure-for-aspiring-novelists
[2] Nicholls, A. (2021). Outlining for Discovery Writers: Methods and Tips to Help You Plan and Write in a Structured Way. GoWrite! Go Write! https://gowritego.co.uk/outlining-for-discovery-writers/
[3] Scott, K. M. (2015, August 10). The Snowflake Method is the Ultimate Outlining System for Writers. Writers Digest. https://www.writersdigest.com/writing-fiction/writing-process/story-structuring-tips/outlining/the-snowflake-method-is-the-ultimate-outlining-system-for-writers
[4] http://opus.brynmawr.edu/etds/1749/
[5] Murphy, D. (2021). 24 Chapter Novel Outline. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
This book, Million Dollar Outlines by David Farland, is an excellent resource for education-and-self-development in novel writing, offering pragmatic advice on outlining for both personal use and impressing publishers. It's especially beneficial for discovery writers who want to learn how to structure their stories, providing a magical means to transform raw ideas into well-thought-out plots.
As a companion to discovery writing, this book not only breaks down the outlining process into manageable chunks but also includes practical examples, diagrams, and pages for conflict/resolution for each character to aid in brainstorming plot points and deciding on subplots, making it a valuable addition to books (entertainment) and learning tools (education-and-self-development).
